Parties not needed to win–indie candidates

The two independent candidates for USC councilor agree: having a party is not essential for victory.

By Andrew Jonathan Bagaoisan
Tinig ng Plaridel / UPJourn.net

The two independent candidates for USC councilor agree: having a party is not essential for victory.

Arnie “Bong” Arquiza and Christopher “Kester” Yu, each campaigning on solo platforms, both answered “no” Thursday to a question asking if party machinery was a must to win in the university-level elections.

The query came during the evening miting de avance at Kalayaan Residence Hall, the first in this year’s campaign’s nine-dormitory tour.

For Arquiza, a second-year mechanical engineering student, all a candidate needed was the mandate of the students, rather than a party.

Arquiza said in his campaign line last night that the USC needed to release “unbiased” information on issues.

Meanwhile, Yu said that a platform, and not a party, was crucial to win.

Yu, the outgoing chairperson of the College of Science student council, is running on an environment-focused platform.

In the past four years, the few independent candidates who ran for councilor at the university level have usually fared well in the elections.

Outgoing councilor Rye Castillo ran last year as an independent. No independent ran for councilor in 2007. Candidates Jenna Atun and Roy Cervantes gained seats in 2006.

In 2005, 11 candidates ran as independents, the most number for an election in recent years. While not members of any party, the independents that year often campaigned together.

Only four of them won: Chris Lao as vice chair; Froi Montero, Chris Ocampo, and Jamir Ocampo as councilors.